IMAGE: On July 10 at 0:35 UTC, the MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a more disorganized Tropical Storm Neoguri over east central Japan. Neoguri's center was east of Kyushu,...
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Credit: Image Credit:
NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Once a powerful super typhoon, now an weakening tropical storm, NASA's Terra satellite saw a much weaker Tropical Storm Neoguri moving along the southern coast of Japan.

On July 10 at 0:35 UTC, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of a more disorganized Tropical Storm Neoguri over east central Japan. At the time of the image, a more elongated Tropical Storm Neoguri's center was east of Kyushu, Japan.

On July 10 at 09:00 UTC (5 a.m. EDT), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) noted that Tropical Storm Neoguri's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 45 knots (51.7 mph/83.3 kph). Neoguri was centered near 33.8 north latitude and 135.8 east longitude, or about 127 nautical miles (146.1 miles/235.2 km) southeast of Iwakuni, Japan. Neoguri has tracked east-northeastward at 29 knots (33.3 mph/53.7 kph). Earlier in the week, when Neoguri was a super-typhoon, it was generating seas over 45 feet high (13.7 meters). Now, as a tropical storm, Neoguri is kicking up maximum wave heights near 8 feet (2.4 meters).

Radar from the Japanese Meteorological agency showed that Neoguri had an exposed low-level circulation center and the development of thunderstorms was waning. Moderate to strong southwesterly wind shear of 20 to 30 knots (23.0 to 34.5 mph/37.0 to 55.5 kph) was pushing Neoguri's thunderstorms northeast of the center of circulation.

The JTWC expects Neoguri to continue weakening as it tracks along the southeastern coast of Japan very near Toyko. JWTC forecasters noted that Neoguri will continue transitioning into an extra-tropical cyclone as it moves into cooler waters.

Text credit: Rob Gutro
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

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